Daily Yellowstone journal., 1887-01-25

I'd In mining at places remote from
Votlng precincts, aud also the large
number OF persons who have not re-
sided In the territory long enough to
brcOme citizens, it would seem that
Montana ella ms a larger population
than the ratio of populsti0n in Con-
Rre-s. With 200 miles OF additional
railroad under construction, every
town Of importance in the territory
Viii have within the year ample rail-
road facilities. Ii is easy TO conceive
the impetus thai such an expenditure
OF money will give to business a. well
rs the cheap and easy mode Of con-
veyance, given tn emigrants seeking
new fields of enterprise. The COM
mitte.'s figures give "the total area OF
M0Dtsns IN SOU re miles at l43, ,778, or
926, l26,OO0 acres. The number OF
acres exclusive Of the Indian and mil
ta-y reservations is 81 AZ, 600. OF which
IL, ,0V0, 900 were surveyed up to the close
Of 1883; 70, 100000 OF this land WAS
granted TO the Northern PacIhc rail-
road, and The railroad has surveyed up
20 December, 1883, 5.7l8,0O0 acres.
The total valuation of the property as
ses.ed for valuation is increased from
"a ,O4O, ,3O6 In 1881, to S55,OI6,S7l In
1856. The rate Of taxation IL about Is
mills on the dollar but these estimates
do not embrace the miniLg dis ricts of
the territory. which are exempt from
taxation under the law, nor does IL in
clude 1,00Omiles of railroad In succ. ss-
ful operation.
IL is fair to conclude that the total
valuation OF assessable pr ,peTty ut
this time 10 not far from $lO0, 0,0OC 900.
The total exports from Montana in
1855 amounted TO SIC, ,4O0. 900, consist.
ing of gold, silver, copper, lead. beef
aud wool, which includes 5000, 600
head Of beef cattle and 600, 900 pounds
Of wool. There are twenty-eight
banking houses in the territory and
tulriy-Dne newspapers. School houses
and churches are TO be found wherever
the country has been settled. The
people are generally wealthy, ener-
getic and Intelligent, and the re-
markably rapid increase Of pop
ulation and property during the
last six years leaves scarcely any
room 10 doubt that the people Of Mon
tana are able 10 establish and maintain
state government without imposing
on themselves unnecessary and heavy
taxation. They memorable congress
for admission and are willing TO as
sumo the responsibilities of statehood.
Speaking of Washington territory
the commlttee reports that at the last
general election there weie AZ ,227 votes
IN the territory, OF whsch IT Is sfae TO
assume 10000 were cast by women.
This would give 1927 As the male
voting population. serving the
ratio OF four and fourteDths the popu-
lstion at that time was l76,06s, and
the vote al the last election in that
portion Of Idaho which the bill propos-
es TO add TO Washington.a as new state
was 4,6i6, which at the ratio OF four
and ST .en-tenths represents popula-
ton Of q .s36. Adding this to the pop
ulatiUn Of Washington aud the new
state will come into the union with
l07, eos more than the established unit
of representation.
The territory also has s0i miles Of
railroad in successful operation, and
70 more nearly built. But the Colum-
ba river aud the fine hsrbors on the
Pacific coast afford the people better
advantages for transportation ihan do
the railway lines. The territory has
twenty banks, fifteen Of which
are National banks, with capital Of
81, 900, 600.